Becoming free, remaining free : manumission and enslavement in New Orleans, 1846-1862 /

Antebellum Louisiana, unlike other Southern states, had legal mechanisms whereby slaves could sue in courts of law for their freedom. This was due to the state's French and Spanish heritage. Schafer (Tulane Univ.) examines the court cases filed by Louisiana slaves who sought to have their freedom recognized because of manumission contracts or other agreements made with their masters. The number of these cases grew to such number that the Louisiana legislature prohibited manumission in 1857. This study also examines various legal cases whereby free blacks sought to prove their status in the court system. Written by one of the outstanding legal historians of the antebellum South, this book is based on a comprehensive and exhaustive examination of hundreds of court cases and related legal documents. It is, simply put, legal history at its best. This volume should be of particular interest to readers concerned about the history of African Americans in the South, and it should be mandatory reading as a case study of how historians can use legal records as the basis for crafting compelling social history. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels and collections. L. T. Cummins Austin College